[Music] Various Artists – Al​-​Mawtin Al​-​Aswad: Arabian Inheritance

Respect to Depressive Illusions Records out of Kyiv, Ukraine, for giving these folks a platform to spread their music out to the broader world, even if metal isn’t quite my cup of tea.

This compilation of Arabian and North African racket bears little resemblance to anything metal-heads in the United States are used to producing. The anger here is palpable to the point of being nearly psychotic in its energy level. Brutal metal outside of the Middle East doesn’t have anything close to this intensity.

This record isn’t for the faint-of-heart, but for those who have an interest in how music is used as a tool for rebellion under extremely hostile cultural and governmental forces, it’s quite a window into the local metal scene.